Heroes of the Storm - Stitches Character Guide

Winning matches in Heroes of the Storm is all about understanding the different characters in the game and using each of them to the best possible effect. There are several different types of characters in the game including assassins, warriors, specialists, and support. While characters fit into specific roles, each character plays very differently from the others and that is where this guide comes in.

Stitches – Basics

Stitches is a character from the Warcraft games and is listed as a Melee Warrior character and viewed as a tank. He is however almost more of a support class due to the various abilities that he has and how they are best used. Stitches is very powerful when played correctly and therefore feared by many players. However to get the most out of Stitches the team that you are on really needs to coordinate.

Strengths:

Lots of heath and some self healing

Can pull players from a distance

Can trap and move players to a new location

Can stun enemy players

Weaknesses:

No real escape ability until level 20

Skill based class due to needing to aim his basic ability

Needs teamwork from other allies to get the most out of the class

Cost: 10,000 Gold or $9.99 USD

Stitches – Abilities

Hook (Q) [14 second cooldown] – This is the ability that defines Stitches. It shoots out a hook in a straight line and pulls the first enemy hit back towards him. When used properly this can make the difference in almost any fight.

Slam (W) [8 second cooldown] – This attack deals damage to all enemies in a cone in front of Stitches. With upgrades this attack can become a real nuisance to enemy players as it can add stuns and DOTs as well as its base damage.

Devour (E) [30 second cooldown] – This melee attack hits a single target for a significant amount of damage as well as healing you for 20% of your health. This ability can help Stitches stay alive a lot longer than he would normally.

Gorge (R) [80 second cooldown] – This is one of the level 10 ability options. Gorge deals damage to an enemy hero as it sucks them into Stitches gut. It traps them there for 3.5 seconds before spitting them back out while dealing more damage.

Putrid Bile (R) [60 second cooldown] – This is one of the level 10 ability options. Putrid Bile releases an AOE effect that deals enemies that are in it while also slowing them and speeding you up.

Vile Gas (Passive) – This is a passive ability that releases a deadly gas any time you are hit. Anyone in the area of the gas takes damage from it.

Stitches – Talents

Every hero in Heroes of the Storm has several talents that they gain access to as they level in each match. Rather than look at every talent here, we will focus on the best at each level.

Level 1

Heavy Slam or Block are the best two options here since Chew your Food can only be used every 30 seconds, and Regeneration Master requires that you focus on lane control rather than enemy heroes. Heavy Slam is the better choice as it deals damage to multiple enemies at once, however if you have a hard time staying alive Block can really help out.

Level 4

Putrid Ground is the best talent at this level as it applies Vile Gas to everything hit by your Slam. Amplified healing can be useful as well, as it will keep you alive for a long time if you are teamed up with a healer. The other options are not really viable.

Level 7

Tenderize is the best option here by far as it keeps the target that you are hitting slowed and in range to be hit again and again.

Level 10

At this level you gain access to either Gorge or Putrid Bile. There really isn’t a choice though as Gorge is the significantly better option. Gorge allows Stitches to really make a difference in fights and turn the tide when players work together. By swallowing an enemy hero and then running back towards your allies you can almost guarantee a hero kill.

Level 13

There are two good options here, Relentless and Mega Smash. Relentless is the better option if the enemy team has a significant amount of crowd control, as it will allow you to stay involved in the fight more of the time. Mega Smash is a good option if the enemy does not have a lot of CC as it will allow you to deal additional damage to more enemies at once.

Level 16

This level brings with it two additional good choices which are Pulverize and Fishing Hook. Fishing Hook is the better choice only if you are truly skilled with your aiming of your Hook ability. It adds 50% extra reach which can allow you to grab enemies almost all the way across the screen, but is really hard to aim and land at that distance. If you are less than perfect with your Hooks then Pulverize is the better option, adding a 0.5 second stun to your Slam. If you have also taken Putrid Ground and Mega Smash this can be a huge upgrade.

Level 20

Your top level talents have some good options. My favourite is Hungry Hungry Stitches as it allows you to use Gorge over and over again as long as enemies are nearby. To make the best use of it though, the whole team needs to be aware of it and coordinate their abilities to get extra kills. Bolt of the Storm is also a strong option as it allows you to teleport either towards an enemy to capture them with Gorge or Hook, or to teleport back to allies with a captured enemy for the kill, or to escape being killed. Lastly Resurgence of the Storm is a decent option, but relies on you having been killed which I don’t like counting on. In the late game though if your whole group has this it can lead to some nasty surprises for the enemy as you all get back into the fight quickly.

Stitches – Strategy

While playing as Stitches your goal is to cause as much havoc for your opponents as possible.

In the early game this involves helping out with lane clearing with your smash to give your minions the chance to push against the enemy forts and walls. At this stage you should also watch for enemy heroes that are all on their own. If you work with an ally you can pick off enemies that wander too far from safety and deal some damage too them. Then when they start to run you can pull them back with a well timed Hook and finish them off.

In the later game you can start to deal even more damage and cause more havoc with your Gorge ability to eat up the enemy heroes that get too close. The real trick to making the most of trapping an opponent is to pick your target properly and then getting back away from the other enemies quickly. This will allow your allies to kill off the target and then move onto another enemy right after. Even if you can not set up a kill with Gorge on an opponent, you can still do other things to help out your group.

With the upgrades to your Slam, Stitch can deal massive damage to groups of enemies. It is possible for Stitches to deal with mercenary camps all by himself thanks to his slams, stuns, and gorge abilities. This makes Stitch extremely useful on certain maps where he can be sent out solo to collect resources or enlist aid from these groups.

Last Updated:
December 30, 2014

About The Author

Byron "Messiah" Mudry

Byron has been playing and writing about World of Warcraft for the past ten years. He also plays pretty much ever other Blizzard game, currently focusing on Heroes of the Storm and Hearthstone, while still finding time to jump into Diablo III with his son.